I've long thought that if the house shot did anything to hurt bowling, it was to get everyone so used to scoring well, they can't enjoy bowling when the lanes are challenging. I think after a bowler gets to s certain average, they only like to strike; they aren't really interested in the challenge of discovery.

Probably the top 10% don't care. They love the challenge, they love the game, and they're so good they can figure it out and score anyway,

The bottom 30% may not even notice.

But that leaves about 60% of us in the middle. A lot of bowlers in that middle average range think of this game a lot like basketball. "There's the hoop, all I have to do is get it in." What makes bowling great is that there is so much more to it than that. And we need to learn to appreciate that, and even enjoy it every time we're on the lanes.

I used to see a one-time USA bowling coach, Cliff Tarpley, and his wife, former Woman Bowler of the Year, Patti Ann. Cliff is full of old stories of the PBA beginnings, same with USBC. Let's just say, Cliff is loaded with stories. Most, coming as he shows you a metal ring holding his 69, 300 game rings.

Anyhow, a couple of younger hot shots, with their inflated 220 averages came up to him with a challenge once. Cliff, in his 80's, accepted the challenge on one condition. The oil had to be gutter to gutter and foul line to pin deck. He even gave me the wager money to hold.

Of course, the challengers backed off. But, I know Cliff was serious, and would have shown them a thing or two. Plus, made a few sheckles.

The conditions can negate any ball, and any bowler. Some around here are starting to see how you can improve your bowling by being on tougher shots. Summer league house shot I climbed to a 220 average. Besides not being hurt, it feels easy now that I've had to focus on the tough stuff. No way do I stay at this average, but fun to be here for now

bowled in a sport shot sweeper last Friday. got my a#$ handed to me. only took 519 to make the cut and 623 top qualifier. I was glad I didn't make it in a way. I looked at the pattern before I decided on equipment and laneplay. left lane 47' and 22.6ml. right lane 36' 22.4ml. .

I couldn't have made any worse decisions , on my equipment choice and lane strategy. on top of that I seemed to refuse to execute properly.

I missed the cut by 8 pins but would have had to make up 100 pins without any look at all. if they counted the first half of each game I managed a 200 pace in frames 1 - 5. but lost any hint of being a shotmaker to finish each game.

it was one of those days I needed to execute the fundamentals but had much difficulty doing so.

it made me think of wondering how to plan out a decent strategy on these difficult patterns. if everyone who has been successful on difficult patterns can share their approach to jumping on the best line and how to find it quickly so you are not always playing catch up.

I think think I have mapped out a better approach next time so I can compete better which I'll share here after a few others.

Not counting Nationals, I've bowled a number of sport shot tourneys. The first few were real dogs, I could not get anything going. It wasn't until I stopped fighting the lanes and straightened my line that I started making some headway. Shallow inside or outside angled into the pocket using weak balls is what has worked for me with some success. Enough to low cash but I'm working on it.

Don't drink too heavily or stay up too late. If you've gone there to bowl, leave the entertainment for another time.

It helps to get your mind right before you bowl, that you may have to grind-out every game. This will help you from being taken out by your own frustration. Too many have a single bad game and then can't conceive they can make up for it later. Spares may become more important than strikes.

Relax! Sport patterns don't require speed. They require accuracy. aim small, miss small. You're not going to open-up a sport pattern. So, keep your ball in play by hitting the pocket the best you can. Avoid hitting the nose or throwing wide and leaving washouts. The pattern may get easier later, but don't depend on it.

Avoid poor pin count. 'Bucket' combinations and 3-6-10's or 3-6-9-10's really add up if you leave them too often.

Don't use equipment that's too jumpy. If you're targeting close, you don't want equipment that will take off when it comes off the pattern. Better to hang a weak 10 than a 4-9 or 4-6 combination.

If you don't know how to play inside, learn before you go. Where I bowl, we can arrange to have a pair of lanes set up with the 'Open' shot so a person can get a feel for what to expect. If you can arrange something like that, do so. If not, ask anyway.

Pace yourself. Don't get caught up in the misery around you. If those you're bowling with are bowling poorly, getting off the lanes will be more important than extending the misery. Don't get caught up in their efforts to get off the lanes and go drinking and gambling.

There aren't any single 'big' items that will guarantee success. Instead, there are many little things that if you take care of will keep you from taking yourself out of the game.

Don't get there and be surprised by how tough the shot is. Instead, prepare beforehand for that tough condition. Have a plan and do your best to execute it.

If you start stringing strikes and people begin to gather behind you and a guy is setting up a camera, keep your head :-)

Short patterns tend to have more oil up front, and (obviously) a lot of backend. Your earliest/smoothest ball is usually best on short, usually playing straight and outside. You want the ball to roll early and smooth...no going sideways.

On longer patterns, typically you have less oil up front, and little backend reaction. You don't want a lot of surface which is going to tear up the front of the pattern very quickly. You do want something that wants to be angular on the backend so you can create the proper amount of angle with less backend to do it with. Shiny-ish and asymmetric have been good to me on long oil, usually playing straight up 12-14 since I'm speed dominant.

I'm staring at my arsenal this morning, wondering what to do and what to bring for today's 38' Taj Mahal pattern. Nothing special really, but my left hip through ankle hurt, and not sure I can put the zip on the ball to play my right side starting line.

Got a chance to bowl on a sport pattern tonight for the first time since coming back from Nationals. Subbed in a PBAX league and the shot was Kegel Dead Man's Curve. Had a great look with my Pyramid Antidote at 500 playing straight up 9 and shot 236+194+172+201=803. The key thing was not only playing a familiar part of the lane but also not having to slow my ball speed down as I had to do at Nationals and on sport shots in the past. My teammate was struggling and actually getting a little frustrated because I was making it look like a house shot in that first game, lol.

Was fun to impersonate a professional bowler for 1 game but came back down to earth after that. My accuracy wasn't quite there and had my first open on a split and could only manage a double in that 2nd game. Whiffed two single pins in the 3rd game (guttered a 7 pin then went straight at a 4 pin instead of cross alley which was a mistake). Aside from those two gaffes my spare shooting was actually pretty good tonight with a washout conversion in there as well. Game 4 I started with a split but came back with a 4 bagger after moving my target closer to me to get the ball into a roll sooner but started to get a little tired and missed to the inside in frame 10 to leave a 4,7,10 split. Managed to break 8 so I'll take it. Just happy I actually had good ball reaction on a sport shot and could throw it at my normal speed which is often a challenge since I am speed dominant. Still a lot I need to learn about the equipment and surfaces and what I should be using for my game but getting there.

Plan on bowling in this the rest of the summer. It's not sanctioned and there's no prize money but it's only $11 for the 4 games. Definitely good practice as I do have some aspirations on bowling in a few big local tourneys next season and this will definitely be easier on the wallet than donating in a sweeper. It's a small league with only 11 bowlers and 1 guy is bowling alone with a vacant so did get invited to jump in with him the rest of the way.

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